Suction cleaner



Nov. 13, 1945. A. GRIFFITH SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec. 21, 1944 INVENTOR. LLEWELLYN A. Camwrrn-a Patented Nov. 13, 1945 SUCTION CLEANER Llewellyn A. Grifiith, Buffalo, N. Y. Application December 21, 1944, Serial No. 569,173

7 Claims.

This invention relates to suction cleaners and particularly to improvements in suction cleaners of the kind generally known in the art as tank type cleaners.

In general, tank type cleaners usually comprise a cylindrical casing adapted to rest lengthwise on a floor or the like and the operating motor thereof is adapted to draw air in at one end of the cylinder and discharge it at the other. Such cleaners are generally arranged so that a flexible hose may be selectively connected to either end of the cylinder whereby the appliance may be employed in conventional suction cleaning or, by connection to the opposite end, as a blower or air pressure discharge device for various purposes.

In the prior art various devices have been proposed for detachably connecting the flexible hose or conduit to one or the other end of the cleaner.

tank. Such devices have been in the nature, of conventional bayonet joints, detent button interlocks, and others. They have in general been cumbersome and awkward to manipulate, especially in the hands of housewives who are frequently not familiar with the operation of mechanical devices. The use of auxiliary attachments or modes of operation is frequently governed by and dependent upon the facility with which the alternative mode of operation maybe rendered available, and thus rendering an auxiliary mode of operation more quickly and conveniently available has the practical result of actually widening the potentialities of the appliance as a whole.

According to the present invention the flexible is associated with the cleaner for association with I the cleaner proper in a semipermanent manner, but in such a way that it may readily and quickly be swung between opposite positions where it has sealed fluid connection with the apertures provided at the opposite ends of a suction cleaner or the kind here under consideration. The proposed arrangement is such that, a reversal from one end of the cleaner to the other of the hose connection may be accomplished by merely manipulating the outer or nozzle end ofthe'hose without even necessitating stooping over on the.

While 'a specific embodiment of the principles of the present invention is set forth in detail in part of the user.

the accompanying drawing and is describedin the following specification it is tobe understood that neither the spirit nor scope of the invention Throughout the several figures of the drawing, I

like characters of reference denote like parts and the numeral 10 designates a cylindrical casing of a tank type suction cleaner whose interior arrangement, as to fan, operating motor, dirt bag and the like, are entirely conventional and accordingly are not illustrated. As viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, the right hand end of 'the cleaner may be the suction end, by reason of which a removable closure cap II is provided to permit ready removal of the conventional dirt bag for cleaning and replacement. Conventional clasps l2 retain the end cap II in assembled position in a readily detachable manner.

A pair of otherwise conventional supporting runners l3, secured to the casing I0 for supporting the same, extend rearwardly as at [4 a sufficient distance to form, with a rubber collar I5, a tripod for supporting the cleaner in a vertical position while the dirt bag is being removed and replaced. The resilient collar I5 at the outlet end of the tank ID has a similar counterpart designated l 6 at the suction end of the cleaner. As shown in Fig. 4, the collar I6 is disposed about an annular flange I! which may be formed as a part of and centrally of the end cap I I. The resilient collar l5 at the discharge end, has a similar supporting flange, not shown. It will be noted that the collar l6 extends somewhat beyond the supporting flange H to permit its compression in the act of associating the hose therewith.

It may be desired to entirely remove the hose from the cleaner for various reasons, such as in storing or. transporting the appliance. For this reason a, conventional means for disconnecting the hose may be provided in addition to the arrangement of the present invention. The conventional connecting means comprises a collar rigidly associated with the end of a flexible con-- within a connecting collar l9 and, as is conventional, is held in place therein by detents 20 which are urged outwardly by spring means not pins 24 and 25 respectively. In the illustrated instance the arms 22 and 23 are offset as shown in Fig. 2 to clear the clasps l2 and, for convenience, the clasps l2 are employed as locating stops and prevent further downward movement of the tank having an air displacing fan and an operating motor therefor disposed therein, an air inlet opening and an air discharge opening at opposite ends of said tank, an extension conduit and means at one end thereof adapted to seat over either of said openings, supporting arm means fixed to said conduit and extending therefrom to pivotal engagement with said tank substantially medially of said openings, whereby pivotal movement of said arm means through substantially a semi-circle reverses the fluid connection of said conduit with said tank, and stop means associated with said tank and disposed to --1-imit pivotal movement of said arm means and said conduit seating portion at opposite ends of said semi-circular path.

arms 22 and 23 from the position illustrated in.

Fig. 2.

The collar H! has a flange 28 which seatsagainst the resilient collar [6 in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, and is adapted to alternatively seat against the collar [5 at the other end of the cleaner in a substantially identical manner. The collar 28 has upper and lower cam flange extensions 29 and 30, respectively, to facilitate bringing the flange 28 into seating engagement with either of the collars l5 or l6, respectively.

With the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 it is merely necessary for the operator to pull upwardly on the outer or nozzle end of the hose which is normally held by the operator, and if necessary the tank I may be held down with the operators foot to insure movement of the collar l9 and its associated flange 28 upwardly away from collar [6. By simple manipulation of the hand held end of the hose the collar I9 may be swung through the arc defined by supporting arms 22 and 23 and the cam face 29will guide the collar 28 over the outer end of collar l5, partially compressing the latter to insure air tight engagement. Final movement of the collar 19 and flange 28 to a position of concentricity with collar may be effected by the operators foot.

The limit position of arms 22 and 23 at the left or pressure end of the cleaner is deflnedby abutments 3| and 32 disposed at opposite sides of the tank l0, and in this way accurate concentricity of the collar l9 and hose I8 with the collar is assured. The cleaner is then arranged to discharge air under pressure through the" nozzle end of hose [8. When it is again desired to suck air into the nozzle end of hose 18 the connecting collar l9 and dangers may be returned to the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 by a mere reverse operation to that just described. A suitable handle 34 is attached to the tank In to facilitate ready portability of the device.

In Fig. 2 a conventional air displacement fan and driving motor therefor are shown in dotted lines at 39 and 40, respectively.

I claim:

1. A suction cleaner comprising a floor-type tank having an air displacing fan and an operating motortherefor disposed therein, an air inlet opening and an air discharge opening at opposite ends of said tank, an extension conduit and means at one end thereof adapted to seat over.

either of said openings, and supporting arm means fixed to said conduit and extending'therefrom to pivotal engagement with said tank substantially medially of said openings, whereby pivotal movement of said arm means through substantially a semi-circle reverses the fluid connection of said conduit with said'tank.

2. A suction cleaner comprising a floor-type 3. A suction cleaner comprising a floor-type tan'k having an air displacing fan and an operating. motor therefor disposed therein, an air inlet opening and an air discharge opening at opposite ends of said tank, a flexible extension conduit and means at one end thereof adapted to seat over either of said openings, and supporting arm means fixed to said conduit and extending therefrom to pivotal engagement with said tank substantially medially of said openings, whereby pivotal movement of said arm means through substantially a' semi-circle by manipulation of said flexible conduit reverses the fluid connection of said conduit with said tank.

4. A suction cleaner comprising a floor-type tank having an air displacing fan and an operating motor therefor disposed therein, an air inlet opening and an air discharge opening at opposite ends of said tank, means extending about each opening to provide a seat, an extension conduit and means at one end thereof comprising a seat means engageable with the seat means of eithe of said openings, and supporting arm means fixed to said conduit and extending therefrom to pivotal engagement with said tank substantially medially of said openings, whereby pivotal movement of said arm means through substantially a semi-circle reverses the fluid connectionof said conduit with said tank, at least one of said seat means being axially compressible to .sion conduit and means at one end thereof comprising seat means engageable with the seat means of either of said openings, and supporting arm means flxed to said conduit and extending therefrom to pivotal engagement with said tank substantially medially of said openings, whereby pivotal movement of said arm means through substantially a semi-circle reverses the fluid connection of said conduit with said tank, at least one of said seat means being axially compressible to insure fluid tightengagement, and a cam face associated with theother of said seat means to facilitate lateral fluid connection.

6. A suction cleaner comprising a floor-type tank having an air displacing fan and an operating motor therefor disposed therein, an air inlet opening and an air discharge opening at opposite ends of said tank, axially compressible seat means extending about each opening, an extension conporting arm means fixed to said conduit and ex tending therefrom to pivotal engagement with said tank substantially medially of said openings, whereby pivotal movement of said am means through substantially a semi-circle reverses the fluid connection of said conduit with said tank.

7. A suction cleaner comprising a floor-type tank having an air displacing fan and an operating motor therefor disposed therein, an air inlet opening and an air discharge opening at opposite ends of said tank, axially compressible seat means 10 extending about each opening, an extension conduit and means at one end thereof adapted to seat against either of said seat means, and sup- 

